CWASD News 01262018

CWASD Tackling Mental Health with In-House Therapist

Concerns surrounding youth mental health has become an increasingly important topic of conversation, not just locally or regionally, but nationally. It has never been more important than now to address these issues.Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District officials recognized just that and took a progressive, proactive approach to these needs in CW students, hiring a dedicated mental health therapist in school.

Statistically, 1 in 5 people in the United States experience a mental health condition, but only about 40 percent actually receive treatment. While not everyone who has a mental illness needs therapy, students in this category are 50-percent more likely to drop out of school.For many families, it isn’t financially or logistically feasibility to receive mental health services—especially when it involves taking time off of work, or the lack of insurance coverage makes it nearly impossible to pay for such services.

With these concerns in mind, CWASD hired Courtney Hinnenkamp as the in-house mental health therapist. Hinnenkamp started by working with the students who exhibited the highest need, but has since branched out to include others who are in need of some counseling services.Currently she sees about 39 students, 23 of which are in the HS/MS building, the others at Roselawn Elementary.She sees a range of student needs, from trauma-induced needs or anxiety and depression to self-esteem and image related-issues or abuse.

Hinnenkamp works with the school counselors to receive recommendations for students who may benefit from therapy. Once she receives those recommendations, she contacts the student and their families to obtain consent and evaluates the student’s needs.After an evaluation, she sets treatmentgoals which are reviewed every 90 days.Families are not charged for these services, as Hinnenkamp is an employee of the district.In fact, Hinnenkamp notes that many students she sees don’t have insurance but are in need of mental health services.

Because Hinnenkamp is in-house, she is able to take more of a holistic approach to treating each student’s mental health needs. Often times, outpatient services might provide a therapist for 45-50 minutes a week, but very little communication is made after those sessions are complete.Here, Hinnenkamp is able to reach out to the school counselors, teachers, principals and families—increasing the chance for successful treatment year-round.

“We are able to reach out to every environment which the student is in,” notes Hinnenkamp. “Seeing and working with those environments increases the possibility for change.I can communicate with teachers and families about these issues [with appropriate approvals] and I can even educate and work with staff to help them with ideas that they can incorporate in class.”

Hinnenkamp also explains that she feels strongly about getting parents and families actively involved in the process.

“No one can [do this] on their own,” Hinnenkamp explains. “We all need support in our lives, and the family piece is a huge part of that. We encourage parents to be involved because if you have everyone on the same page, you are more effective.”

Now that Hinnenkamp has gotten acclimated to the district and is working with individual students, she hopes to continue by educating students, staff, and community members about mental health. For many there is a stigma surrounding needing mental health services. Many feel “it’s not normal,” to be feeling the way they do, as Hinnenkamp explains.By educating one another on these topics, however, those feelings can be minimized and accepted.

“By normalizing these feelings, it helps them,” Hinnenkamp adds. “They can understand that they aren’t the only ones feeling that way, and that is crucial.”

For Hinnenkamp, one of the most important things someone can do to help an individual suffering with a mental health issue is to simply be empathetic. She notes that changing behaviors takes time, as does changing people’s perception of mental illness.Part of that involves being careful what you say to others, especially in a small town.The other part, is just to remember that everyone has challenges in life, but those challenges also look different for everyone.

“Even with [those exhibiting] negative behavior, you have to remember that this person has struggled to get to that point in their life,” says Hinnenkamp. “It’s looking at things through a different lens and gaining a new perspective.You can always ask ‘How can I help?’ and if you can’t offer that, see what else they might need that you can offer.Sometimes it’s just listening.”

For those wanting to help others suffering with a mental illness, Hinnenkamp adds that instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?” try to ask or consider what it was that happened in someone’s life to make them behave the way they are behaving. Instead, perhaps ask “What has happened to you that has gotten you to this point?”

“Our experiences shape the way we act and feel, and sometimes how someone is presenting themselves or acting isn’t really what is inside them,” she reminds people. “I invite people to change their way of thinking.The more empathy you have for people’s situations, the more you can be open to change what is happening.”